


Sins of the Father

by KRISTINE667



Category: The X-Files
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26693746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KRISTINE667/pseuds/KRISTINE667
Summary: The Book Of LeahPart 1 of 2Takes place during the events of "Requiem"(dates edited to avoid future continuity/chronology errors)
Kudos: 1





	1. The Book Of Leah-part 1

New Jersey

1985

8:30 p.m.

Wagner household

  
  
  
  


Christopher Wagner pulled the 1-year-old girl into his lap, cradling her with his left hand, he signed five letters with his right hand.

chris.

Baby Allison just looked at him in wonder.

Then, she grabbed his fingers in her tiny hand and laughed. Christopher smiled, and kissed her forehead. Then he pulled his hand away gently, and spelled out the letters again. This time moving slowly, his eyes more intense.

C... H... R... I... S

  
  
  
  


She pulled a finger from her mouth, then signed back

C... S

Then up came two middle fingers.

"Oh, God!" Deena, their mother laughed but she didn't want to.

"I didn't teach her that ever!" Christopher insisted, laughing himself.

"She's tired Christopher," Dad, Hank, said. "learning skills would be ineffectual at this point."

"Your father's right. It takes time to educate somebody towards being a rocket scientist... and she's only one years old."

Christopher got to his feet, holding his baby sister in his arms.

"Not rocket scientist. That's so dumb. But teaching her how to take care of herself, sign language... " the boy shrugged "I’ll teach her how to defend herself, if people want to pick on her, because that's not going to happen!"

He was as assured and confident, as any 10-year-old would be.

"I'm not just her brother, I'm her guardian!"

Christopher held up his hand

"I know five words in American Sign Language already! Next week, I'll know twenty!"

  
  
  


"Get in the house!"

His mother's demeanor had changed entirely, she was now frantic "Get inside! Now Christopher!"

"I checked everything... Deena... wait... " Hank begged.

"That doesn't make a difference, everything you showed me, it doesn't make a difference at all!"

She was not gentle in pulling Allison from her brother's arms.

"Mom!"

The little girl began to cry, But Deena just held her child closer to her body.

"Hank, she's just a baby!"

  
  
  


The car had pulled into the driveway. It was black and its windows were tinted. The engine hummed for a few moments for a while before it stopped.

Deena turned and fled into the house, and Baby Allison was beginning to scream.

Christopher frowned. "Dad, what's going on?"

Hank took his son's hand as the man with short, dark hair got out of the car, and crushed a cigarette under his shoe, then smiled jovially.

"I trust I haven't come at a bad time?"

"My mom's worried about my sister."

Christopher feared little, and maybe his mother just needed reassurance there was nothing wrong here.

He put out his hand, grinned big, and introduced himself.

  
  


"Christopher Wagner! Young man, it's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Charles, A friend of your father's." He shook hands with the boy "I'll tell you the truth; it's good to worry about your sister, your family. It displays how much you love them."

"Chris," Hank poked him on the shoulder "go help your mother okay?"

"I was going to show Charles the pocket game."

But it was that look he got from his father, a look he knew all too well. "Right, dad. Well, see ya!"

Hank shoved his hands into his pocket and turned away.

"Allison is going to have a hard time... she's deaf."

Charles lit another cigarette. I'm sorry to hear about that. If it makes you feel better, they don't take infants. They may not even take her at all. They're known to avoid... people with infirmities."

"It doesn't," Hand told him and began walking towards the front door.

"I see that your wife will have a difficult time with my presence, today.I will just pick up The evidence package and then I will be on my way."

Charles turned it went back to the car. I will wait here, out of respect for Deann.

.................

JUNE 2000

8pm

Dr Zaid Baratt, off to his night shift at the hospital, and driving through the woods, turned on the radio. The ride could be a little boring, and many winding roads made him practice an extra amount of caution.

Many wildlife inhabited the woods, and Dr. Baratt cared to hit none of them.

  
  


He had passed mile marker 35, then pull the steering wheel to the left, ready to round the bend.

Then there was a loud BAM! Right on the hood of his Jetta.

He slammed on the brakes, convinced he had hit a deer.

"Oh, God forgive me!"

  
  


The truth of the situation was a lot worse; splayed out on the hood of his car, was a human.

He began to weep as he got out of his vehicle and went to them. It was a woman.

Checking her vitals, her pulse, her breathing, without moving her for fear she may have broken her neck.

Then he took pause to wonder; where the hell did she come from? There was no one on the road.

"Oh, hell no!"

He looked up... the only logical place he could think of, was she fell right out of the sky... or maybe she jumped in front of the car...

  
  


He got on his phone.

"I have a medical emergency. Past mile marker 35. Injured female 14 to 17 years old Unconscious. Need an ambulance immediately!"

X-x-x

Evanston General Hospital

9pm

Even at 1:00 a.m. in the morning, the hospital was a beehive of activity. Not surprising however, considering that most accidents happen in the home, and therefore a person was more likely to visit an emergency room during the late hours of the evening and the early morning.

Dr. Baratt tended to the girl on the stretcher. She was awake now which was a good thing.

He looked around for information about her and discovered a potentially bad thing.

"Someone please find me Dr Wagner immediately!"

"Aw... he's just an intern," the paramedic told him "and he had a terrible night."

“Cry me a river! Get me Dr Wagner immediately!"

"He's... kind of sort of hungover."

Dr. Baratt was furious.

"Well he's the only thing we got right now! Tell him if he doesn't come, he's fired!"

"Okay, then," and the other doctor went off to fetch Dr Christopher Wagner.

Dr. Baratt held up a note for the young woman:

one doctor on staff tonight and he knows ASL

  
  


x-x-x

"You look horrible," Dr Baratt noted, as Christopher Wagner sat in the lounge, slumped over. He had very discreetly just got done from barfing and was struggling not to barf again.

"The chief of staff came to see me... It wasn't a good conversation."

"I can imagine!" Dr Baratt sat beside him "but there may be a way out of this... at least to give you a couple goodie points... You probably could use them."

"Such as?"

"What happened anyway? I mean this is kind of not like you."

Christopher rested his head in his hand.

"I... have difficulty on the anniversary of the death of my family."

Dr. Baratt was silent for a couple moments.

"I didn't know that... I am sorry... Well I guess today might be your lucky day, floor 3 room 67. She's deaf, and being that you have mad skills in American Sign Language, there is no better intern to help the patient!"

Christopher was silent

"Do you still want to be a doctor, Chris?"

  
  


After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.

  
  


"Very good. Come with me!"

He got up slowly and followed.

"What's her name?"

Leah Kimball. She's 16, has a notepad. Claims to have no relatives. Homeless."

He set to work, and just signed instructions to her; cough, keep your knee relaxed, your blood pressure is decent, heart rate normal, may need an x ray, and so on.

She held up her hands.

"I find your bedside manner to be lacking. What's your name again?"

"Dr Christopher Wagner. You can call me Dr Wagner."

Leah shrugged. "Hungry."

"Wait until morning. Does that hurt?" He pressed on her stomach.

"Yeah! Not the pressing part."

"Then... what?"

"I just told you. You don't have any bedside manner. You're like a robot."

He half-smiled, knowing it was true.

"Well, I'm not paid to give you a warm fuzzy. "I'm paid to treat you."

"Are you paid to bring me something to eat?"

His half-smile turned into a grin. She was determined that was for sure.

"I'd rather there not be any internal injuries, nothing that will require surgery. Food before surgery would go very poorly."

She frowned.

"Touche!"

He stepped back, puzzled.

"What were you doing out in the woods all alone? You camp there?"

She smoothed out her sheet.

"Yes," she signed.

"Kids shouldnt be homeless. You want me to find some resources for you?"

"Guess so."

He nodded then looked over her chart. "Ok, let's see about your care plan. I'm also going to schedule an x-ray."

"I don't like that. It's invasive!"

"That's why it can be called a necessary evil!"

  
  


x-x-x

_ Leah began to struggle. The room was silent but everything in her vision was clear. _

_ The walls were silver and there were no windows. The room felt stifling and it was hard to breathe, resulting in gasping, that she could only detect by the painful convulsions of her lungs. It actually hurt to breathe! She tried lifting her head, but found that strapped down too. _

_ There was no fear involved, just anger. Who had done this to her and why? _

_ She bucked and heaved against the straps so hard that the gurnee bounced off the floor by a half an inch. _

_ It did no good. She remained in the same place, looking up at the silver ceiling. _

_ There was movement behind her, that she knew. _

_ Then the fear began to sink into her veins. _

_ Then something sharp plunged into her back and her midsection at the same moment, and she began to scream. _

_ This seemed to go on for hours, if not days. _

_ The next thing she knew was the dark room was now brightly lit, and a strange being hovering over her. It was large with very thin arms, a gigantic head with very few facial features aside from tiny eyes and a thin tiny mouth, and the tiniest slits where a nose should be. A human looking male stood close by, but it brought her no comfort. Torture from a human or alien was still torture. _

_ A long thin tube was shoved into her mouth and down her throat and she tried screaming again but was unable to. She could not move as well, the needle object shoved far enough in her spine that the slightest twitch brought on tremendous amounts of pain starting in her stomach and moving up and down her torso. _

_ She prayed to die. _

  
  
  


Leah sat up quickly, her hands flew to her mouth.

There was nothing there. In her mind, the horrifying images begin fading away quickly. Instinctively she felt around her back and patted her stomach. After her self-check was complete and finding out she was clean, she attempted to get out of the hospital bed. Weakness overcame her and she sank to her knees. Her head was spinning and she sat there in one place. Nausea gripped her. Concentration was key, and she reached deep inside for what she needed at least to be able to get off the floor.

Her shaky fingers began to form words.

GO she told herself.

Because something bad was coming.

xxx

"I am a doctor. I am a doctor. I am a fucking doctor."

Christopher stood at the whiteboard, looking at his scribbles, which were diagrams on how to perform an emergency appendectomy.

  
  


He was finding himself unsure of what particular practice he should pursue after his internship was over. But the most important thing was that he had finally made it through medical school... amazingly enough for the tragedy that occurred in his life so many years ago.

It was a car accident that took the lives of his parents and his deaf baby sister Allison. And once a year on the anniversary, his life went to shit. It was a slow descent and depression for two weeks prior, and a more steady resurgence out of it, for the next week after.

However it was the first time that he nearly blew his entire medical career by a night of wild partying, lots and lots of alcohol, and a stripper show at a private club.

But somewhere in the middle of all that grief he forgot that he had to go to work the next day.

Certainly this did not go well, certainly he really did want to be a doctor and help people. He was just going to have to try twice as hard.

"Plastic surgeon!" He finally decided that would make a whole lot of money. He was erasing the whiteboard, when an alarm began to sound down the hall. Christopher looked in one direction then looked in another direction, then went back to the whiteboard.

Now he drew one column for the year and another column for the amount he expected to make in a year.

Then an announcement came on the PSA. The orders were to shelter in place immediately.

"Oh, damn it!"

Christopher hurriedly erased the whiteboard, at the same time the chief of staff arrived.

"Wards 2 and 3. Now. I want everyone front and center."

Christopher nodded uncertainty

I... Have a patient... she's deaf and I- "

"Stop wasting time!" the chief of staff waved his hand in the air "andalae!"

"Right," and with that, Christopher moved quickly.

It took concentration to not move too rapidly between wards two and three, His only regret was that he could not appear less nervous.

Among completion of his assigned task, he made his way back up to the third floor and to Leah's hospital room. He was shocked to find a man with short black hair, black leather coat and black pants. Visiting hours were long past Even more alarming was that he stood over Leah's bed which was now empty.

"Where is she," the man asked.

"Are you a relative?"

The man turned and smiled. "Yes I am! I'm her uncle Alex."

"Uh huh," Christopher remarked, with only instinct to tell him he was being lied to.

"Dr Wagner," Christopher said, holding out his hand, the nervousness returning.

Alex put out his hand as well "you can call me Mr Krycek!"

With that He squeezed Christopher's hand firmly.

"Where's my niece?"

Christopher moved toward the end of the empty bed, took the patient chart that was hanging on the hook.

"Blood work," Christopher lied in return "can I ask that you... wait in the lobby?"

"Blood work! For a car accident? That seems a little odd to me."

Christopher looked over the chart carefully, and found nothing about any relative. That alone was enough to make him nervous, never mind the fact that Alex Krycek was very determined and had apparently one goal in mind.

"Lobby," Christopher stated again, feeling just as determined and just as focused.

Alex didn't move.

"Mr. Krycek there are other patients I have to see, we are in lockdown, and you're in the way!" Christopher snapped.

Alex appeared both confused and angry.

"Of course... I'm sorry, but you should know, she's not well" and with that he pointed to his head "an unsecured hospital room such as this might present a danger to you, to your other patients, and even-"

"Lobby!" Christopher ordered, narrowing his eyes, knowing damn well the man had now lied twice!

xxx

  
  


Christopher was too angry to take the elevator, and stormed down the stairwell instead. Exiting on the first floor, he ran into Dr Baratt.

"What a night! Have you checked wards two and three yet?"

The girl is gone! Leah Kimball? She's gone. There was some creepy dude in her room... I think he took her."

Dr Baratt shook his head sadly.

"She... Leah... "

Dr Baratt took him by the arm, and escorted him to the privacy of the chapel.

x-x-x

Christopher sat on the pew in stunned silence..

"Leah is a terrorist???"

Dr Baratt took his head.

"Her name is not Leah Kimball it is Lada Khristel, she's 22 years old, she isn't deaf... We're looking for her now."

Christopher rubbed his head. "Don't fuck with me man I am too hungover for that shit."

Frowning, Dr Baratt held up the NSA wanted poster.

"Believe me I'm just as shocked as you are! She appeared so sweet and innocent. Truly, I'm horrified."

"Sweet.. and... you're...ok... well ok," Christopher relented, not believing a word of what Dr. Baratt said.

Christopher was dismissed from his shift. He left the hospital with a raging headache and the feeling of a heavy stone resting in his stomach. He came to the assumption that it was no longer the result of a hangover, but attributed to the relentless horseshit he just had to go through.

He got in his car and drove... around and up and down the town streets, for about 2 hours. Then after he nearly collided with a Volkswagen bus, and finding himself low on gas, he stopped at a 24-hour donut shop. It would be enough of a pick-me-up before he went home and worked on his latest YouTube video series called "The ABCs of medical internship".

It was a retro donut diner, with 1950s music on a real jukebox. He sat down at the counter, feeling really depressed. This whole previous event was so abnormal, they simply didn't teach it in medical school!

"What'll you have?" the waiter asked

Christopher showcase head, looking at the menu above,

There was raised, glazed, cake, bars, bear claws. He figured he might have one of each and then take up running.

"Coffee... and... and... "

He looked in the long mirror against the wall behind the waiter, and then he looked again, at the one other customer inside the diner.

"Oh, wow."

He turned around on the stool too see if he was not imagining things.

He wasn't. It was Leah Kimball.

"Make it two coffees... make one decaf!"

  
  


She was heavily immersed, looking at a map of the area when a coffee was slid in her direction. She looked up at the giver, her face expressing momentary shock. Then she went back to the map.

He sat down opposite her, his face serious, as he looked her over.

"Where did you get the clothes?" he signed.

All she did was shrug. He tapped the table firmly.

"Don't ignore me. You're in a lot of trouble Leah."

"Whatever was said about me are lies" Her hands spelled out quickly.

"You're not crazy."

"No."

"Terrorist."

“Hell no. They say I'm a terrorist???

She looked very worried now.

"They have a wanted poster with your picture and fake stats all over it."

He looked into the mostly empty box of donut holes. He reached in for one of the last three and she slapped his hand.

"Ask first Don't be rude!"

“Please?”

She nodded reluctantly.

"So... What's the real reason... And where did you get the clothes from... "

"Some guy... He was in the room next to mine... I was kidnapped."

"By the guy that claims to be your uncle?"

She looked even more worried.

"Go," she signed.

"I don't think I should."

"You'll get in trouble for being seen with me."

"I'm kind of already in trouble... especially because I pretty much made it clear to your fake uncle that I wasn't buying his shit.”

You didn't lie about your name right?"

"Leah... With an l... Has an h at the end!"

"Yeah. Do you want something else?"

He couldn't possibly conceive that she would still be hungry after eating 18 donut holes, but they were communicating and that was important.

She took the coffee and he took it back.

"Decaf is better" and he pushed the other cup towards her.

"I'm not hungry," she signed.

The waiter quickly jumped over to Kim counter with fluid ease and went to the front doors.

"Jesus, three cop cars. What the hell," the waiter gasped.

Leah jumped up from her chair, knocking her coffee over. It hit the floor and the styrofoam container broke open spilling black liquid. She was off and running towards the back entrance and Christopher followed, But not before seeing Alex Krycek outside the front door.

"Hey wait a second! They are about to raid my diner, I think I deserve some kind of compensation for that!" The waiter shouted. Christopher dug into his pocket and tossed a $20 bill at him and continued on.

"Back door!" Alex's muffled voice came. Christopher caught up to Leah, who was standing in front of the back door, then immediately turned and headed up the stairs. He followed quickly. She was fast.

He caught up to her and took her arm gently and then signed "we can get out the window." She turned it to him, tears were running down her face.

"I didn't do anything! They took me!" She was gasping and sobbing now.

"Leah, I won't let them take you."

  
  


"I believe you. Leah, I believe you!" He held her firmly so that she faced him and she could read his lips as well as his sign language

"Leah, let me help you!"

From downstairs, was the sound of shattering glass and tables being thrown against the walls.

"This way!" He motioned. He went to the window and opened it. Down below, in the back parking lot, the sound of rock music floated up to great his ears.

He had often heard they would try to drive somebody out of an occupied building by playing the same rock song over and over until the occupants finally surrendered. He wondered if that was happening now.

Leah went out before him, and he figured her for an old pro. Her movements were that quick and agile. He carefully went after her, and the two found themselves on a sloping roof.

  
  
  


"We’ll get up on the roof," though he didn't know what good it would actually do.

There was a flash of light across the parking lot, past the Volkswagens bus. There was a loud click and then moments later, Leah jerked and cried out in pain, clutching her stomach.

Sniper...  _ a fucking sniper!? _ Feeling as if he had no choice he dragged her back into the window, And she tried to stand but fell face down on the floor.

He gently rolled her over to find a tranquilizer dart sticking out of her belly. He quickly yanked it out.

"No... no, Leah!"

Her eyes were fluttering. She reached up a shaky hand to finger the intern medal around his neck, she grazed it with her fingertips and then her hand fell back to the floor.

"Wake up!" He patted the side of her face. He signed to her, though her eyes were closing.

He was convinced of two things; an innocent kid was being targeted for some unknown reason, And he saw no way out of this.

  
  


Downstairs, someone shouted "fire in the hole!"

_ Tear gas!? What the hell have I gotten myself into?? _

A lone figure came into the room, dressed in a hazmat suit and with a gas mask over his face.

"Touch her and I'll kill you!"

He wasn't quite sure how he would perform this monumental task, but he was ready to go.

"Relax, man!" He pulled up the gas mask revealing a face with a dimpled chin and long blonde hair "I'm here to help!"

He pulled the mask back down and tossed him two thick scarves.

"One for you, one for it."

Christopher took them, confused.

"Hey we don't have a lot of time before you succumb to the effects of the smoke bombs and tear gas!"

_ I no longer have a job! I no longer have anything at all! _ Christopher thought with complete frustration.

It was over for him, that he knew very well.

First, do no harm... 

Throwing all caution to the wind he wrapped his mouth and nose up in the scarf and then he applied it quickly to the semi conscious Leah.

"It's a little bit rough downstairs. Here, take this."

Christopher struggled to get her to her feet. He could tell that she was fighting hard to stay awake but was losing the battle.

"Is this what I think it is?" Christopher asked, holding up the stun grenade.

"Follow me! When I tell you and only when I tell you, you pull the pin and throw it into the diner."

"Yeah," he nodded, knowing full well his medical career as well as the rest of his life was completely shot to hell.

He signed frantically to her, hoping that she could see.

"I'm getting you out of here. Leah I won't let them take you again."

The guy with the blonde hair watched them carefully as they descended the stairs.

"That way!" He pointed "throw it now! PIN FIRST!"

  
  


It wasn't something he wanted to do. First do no harm, correct? He waited for just the right moment. The guy in the hazmat suit yelling at him, until he saw fake uncle Alex.

He pulled the pin and threw it hard.

"Son of a... GET DOWN NOW!"

  
  


x-x-x

  
  


With one arm firmly wrapped around her waist, he led her out the back door, following the hazmat suit guy.

He was right about the tear gas. Already his eyes were watering. Leah was whimpering, her feet skidding back and forth across the pavement, trying to find her footing, trying to propel herself. She was very resilient and Christopher was impressed. It was a new life goal, that he found out the rest of this very bizarre story.

The side door to the Volkswagen bus opened, and a short man leaned out and waved at the three. Inside the diner there came a loud bang and a flash of light. Christopher could only hope that fake Uncle Alex got the worst of it.

“Let's go let's go let's go we don't have all night!”

The loud Rock music was coming from the van but the volume was quickly turned down. Christopher hauled Leah into the van, and the doorway shut by the short man. He pulled off the scarves.

Leah struggled to set up and leaned against the wall of the van. As the music was lowered, she pressed an open hand just below the window.

“Do you have a first aid kit?!” Christopher demanded.

The short man handed him one.

“Who are you people anyway?”

“I'm Langley, he pointed to the other two “Byers, Frohike.”

  
  


Christopher signed to Leah. She responded by nodding slightly and closing her eyes.

Which way, Byers asked.

“Ah... the long way would be best... it won't be as easy for them to trace us.”

Christopher looked up to see Langley hovering over them both.

“I can't wait to hear the rest of the story! I'm serious! My medical career just went to complete shit, and the least you could give me is a damn good explanation!”

“You're a doctor! Oh that's cool! We could use a good doctor exclusive to our team! Danger guys and all that!”

“Whoa! Jumping the gun there, Langley! He has to be vetted, before we can even think of opening a dialogue!” Frohike insisted.

“Of course! I'm just saying!” He turned back to Christopher. How long have you had it?”

“Excuse me,” Christopher remarked.

“The alien!” Langley pointed at Leah, and in complete seriousness, he said, “your little friend there... it's a female looking alien... You know, like ET!!"

~to be continued~


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scully and Mulder, woohoo!  
> Book of Leah part 2 of 2

Lone Gunmen HQ  
7am

"I knew she wasn't an alien," Langley insisted. Byers gave him "the look" and Frohike rolled his eyes.  
"Langley you are such a liar!"

"Really!" he insisted as he adjusted his glasses.

There was a momentary pause and then Langley looked at Byers and asked pointedly, "How could you let me go on all night thinking that she was an alien?!"

He grinned. "It was something to do."

  
Outside, Leah looked at Chris and Chris looked at Leah.  
"I'm on the news now. Wanted by the NSA just like you."  
His fingers paused in midair as he contemplated what he would say next. He contemplated if he should say anything at all. He was furious: his life was shattered and that was hard to come to terms with. 

"What happened to you, Leah?"

She sat down on a discarded trunk and stared into space. Christopher moved directly in front of her.  
"I need answers... I deserve answers."

She continued to sit. Then she looked away and began to sign.

"Tortured. Well, they cut me."  
Christopher was stunned. His breath was caught away, having gone somewhere outside of his body. His mind felt numb.

He tried signing back but she continued to look away. He put himself into concentration mode, then moved in front of her.  
"You're fake uncle?"

"He turned me over to them. To the aliens," and she pointed a finger to the sky.

Christopher rubbed his head, another headache was building.

"Why do they want you? why would they call you a terrorist and now call me a terrorist?"  
She continued to wipe the tears out of her eyes.  
They put something in me... I guess they want it back."

"Oh, Leah!" He knelt down and looked in her traumatized eyes.  
She sniffed, and pointed  
"It's a three-inch scar... right here... "  
And she dragged one finger from her sternum down to her pelvic area.  
I was awake the entire time."

  
"He took her hand quickly, pulled her up from the crate and then led her back to the secret HQ of This mysterious group of men calling themselves the Lone Gunman.

"I need a doctor! For her!"

Frohike stepped forward and handed him a sandwich. "I thought you were a doctor!"

"I mean I need a woman doctor. She needs a medical examination and that should not be performed solely by a male doctor."  
Leah poked him hard.  
"Sign," she spelled out with one hand.  
"I need to find you a woman doctor."  
She shook her head adamantly. "Sorry I gave you a hard time. Really, you're okay! You're my doctor!"  
"I appreciate that, but it's about transparency."

"Think I got someone in mind," Frohike said, as he put down the sandwich and moved away.

  
Leah pondered this. "About avoiding a lawsuit?"  
He smiled. "Something like that!"  
She looked confused again.  
"It just seems kind of pointless to be concerned about lawsuits if you're going to prison."

Frohike hung up the security phone and went back to Christopher. "Aren't you going to even try the sandwich? I really make the best sandwiches."  
He handed one to Leah and turned to Christopher  
"I have the name of a woman doctor, I just talked to her and she's willing to see Leah. She's very familiar with this kind of thing, and she can be trusted."

He took the piece of paper from Frohike. Leah noticed how disappointed he look. "I was kidding about the prison thing."  
He showed her the paper which read DANA SCULLY MD and had the contact number below the name.  
She frowned. "Do I have to go alone?"  
He shook his head.

x-x-x

  
1pm  
"Dr Wagner?"

At the bed and breakfast inn just outside of Washington DC, Christopher and Leah sat in lounge chairs in the garden in the back of the inn. A half finished continental breakfast was on the table.  
Christopher got up, put a hand on Leah's arm then approached the woman.  
"I don't think so now... Dr Scully?"  
She nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry I'm late.... work has been intense lately."  
"I really appreciate this... um, here!" He showed her the fake IDs Mr. Frohike wanted me to show you these."

"Ok! Uhhh, I don't have a lot of time. We'll need to leave soon."

"Yeh," Christopher remarked and went back to Leah He was not shocked to find her asleep in the lounge chair. What was shocking was discovering that she was signing in her sleep.

  
Scully came over to him. "I pulled the car around... can we go? I'm sorry I don't have that much time."

"Right... "   
As Chris roused Leah, she looked absolutely horrified and he signed  
"Just a bad dream. We have to go."  
She didn't move.  
"This is the only way we can find out what they did to you."  
After a moment she nodded and took his hand.

x-x-x

In an available hospital room near the radiology department Dana Scully applied the ultrasound gel to Leah's abdomen, starting right under the sternum and down to her pelvis. Christopher was horrified to see the fresh scar in her flesh. He ignored his despondent feelings and sat down at the machine.

"I think I remember how this goes...  
I use this switch right here... And then I... uh... "

Scully noted his confusion. "No stand up I'll do that."

He nodded gratefully, took the wand and then covered the end of the device.  
Scully was careful to inform him exactly where the wand should go. Then she flipped a different switch than he had.  
"How long have the two of you been on the run?"

 _I'm a fugitive_ , he thought dismally.

"Last... night... she was hit by a car... actually she fell onto the car... maybe from a tree?"

"Is there an estimate on how far she fell?"  
"Enough to severely dent the hood. I'm not sure how she avoided a broken neck... I'm told aliens from outer space might have been involved."

Scully gave him a serious and questioning look. He was taken aback and said "maybe the ship dropped her off," he mumbled.

Leah slapped his arm, dragging his attention back to her. "Are we almost done I want to be done!" Leah signed, her eyes getting watery.

"Soon," he signed back, unsure of whether he felt sorry for her or himself.

"Go back up please. Right under the sternum. Look here, what do you see?"  
Scully pointed to the screen. "That looks like a bullet doesn't it?"

"Do they make bullets that large?" Christopher whispered.  
"They don't."  
Scully looked at her watch, then she printed out the information and gave it to Chris.

There was a knock on the hospital door and then it was opened.

"This is where they told me I could find you. Are you ready?"  
"Mulder. Yes. Here take these." She handed Chris the printouts. Leah finished tucking in her shirt in and then raced out of the room.

"I'm... Not sure what to do now... But this thing should be removed... "

"That's not a good idea." Dana Scully finished arranging her briefcase. Fox Mulder, Dr Christopher Wagner... Intern.

"I've been framed I'm no longer an intern All I was doing was trying to help a patient."

"Here. Take my card."

Chris took Scully's business card.   
"FBI!"  
"Relax you're not getting arrested; you come with good references in the persons of Byers, Langley, and Frohike. We understand a few things about abductions. Do you think you can call me in about 5 days? Our current assignment should be completed by then."

Christopher was relieved they were closer to the truth, yet he was baffled as well. "What can be done until then?"

"Hide! Wherever you think might be best? You're dealing with a formidable opponent and they do not give up easy."

Christopher wanted more information, to even do more right this second, but the doctor and her partner were obviously in the biggest rush of their lives.

"Don't get it removed... right?"  
"If you do... Leah might become very sick, even die."  
"Alien abduction?" Mulder queried of Chris.

"It... I have no idea!"

"And the girl's name is?"  
"Leah Kimball and she's deaf!" Christopher told him, feeling annoyed and even frightened that the mysteries got bigger, along with the target on both their heads.

  
Mulder shook the girl's hand.  
"Find someplace safe to lay low. Give us a call in a few days. We might be able to help. Hey, I know it's tough. But this is a well-traveled road for the two of us. We can help but the current assignment is time-sensitive," Mulder told him.

"Someplace safe?" Christopher asked again. He did have a million more questions actually.

"Parents?" Mulder asked as he and Scully made their way down the hospital corridor

"I don't want to be out in the open, I don't want to be exposed!" Leah informed Christopher.

Christopher made his way back to her then sat beside her.  
"Don't like medical exams," she signed, her bottom lip trembling.

Christopher smiled reassuringly. "There's a place where we can go... my parents house... "

~to be continued~


	3. THE BOOK OF CHRISTOPHER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Big Reveal.

New Jersy  
Next Day-7pm

He felt himself falling into a deep dark pit of grief and sorrow. They task ahead of him seem impossible.   
The two of them had finally made it to New Jersey, to the small town of his childhood home, The one that he, for the most part, left behind after his family was killed. He was 19 then.

It was odd, he could not exactly remember the accident, except that he was obviously not there.

He also could not remember identifying their bodies in the morgue, but that had to have happened too, right?

They were thoughts that quickly gave way to grief.

Something was slapped onto his head, briefly rousing him from his state of brooding and melancholy. He pulled it away to see that it was a baseball hat, and Leah standing above him, looking angry.

"That wasn't necessary," he signed to her.

"I got to go. If you can't go I got to go."  
She waved goodbye then and turned to leave. He got up from the ground quickly and went after her.

"I'm following through. This is really hard for me, and you need to understand that."

"That was the longest 15 minutes of my life!"

"Oh hell!" He realized as he saw the sun was beginning to set.

She frowned.  
"You look like shit."

He looked around. "The house is a 15-minute walk from here. Best I can do. Come on."

X-X-X

The frustration was building, so Leah signed to herself. As they made their way up Olivet avenue towards 8th Street, her fingers moved rapidly in the air, with a mere cautionary glance at the sidewalk below her feet.  
After arriving in Linford they stopped at the cemetery, where Christopher took 15 minutes(that turned into well over an hour) to mourn the loss of his family.  
It was unnerving to discover his family was killed in a car accident that same year her parents' house burned down in a fire and they lost their lives. She wanted to run away, but there was no place for her to run to. Fake Uncle Alex would find her as he did before so there was no point. Not to mention her problems had now become his problems.  
She felt bad for him, he was dedicated to finding her a safe place... even if that place had caused so much emotional trauma that he had not been able to return since the funeral.  
It showed all over him. He was pale, his eyes look haunted. He looked aged. His whole body seemed to suffer from the weight of the grief.  
He was bending over backwards to help her, and he was suffering for it. she wanted to give him a hug but that felt too weird. She wanted to say that she would give him a five-star review with the medical board, but that would be useless now.  
Instead, she just signed to herself.

You do that a lot," he queried.  
"There is no crime in signing to yourself."  
"Not at all. You were doing it in your sleep as well."  
She smiled, giggled, "am I being interrogated now?"

"It just seems very unique." He decided to say no more, that it was giving him some kind of déjà vu.

That would seem weird.

They arrived at the two-story house and Leah sidled up beside him.  
"You look like you're going to be sick."

He pressed his lips together. "There was a hide-a-key but I can't remember where."

He began a search around the house for the key. Leah helped but they came up empty-handed.

"That window," he pointed.  
"I'll give you a boost. No really, I'm stronger than I look."

He shook his head then pushed his hand to his mouth. Then he ran off to vomit in the bushes.

This was going to be harder than he wanted it to be. He only hoped, that upon crossing the threshold, he would not pass out.  
He returned to her, folded his fingers together then lowered them, hands clutching each other and then nodded. Shrugging, she put a foot down in his clinched hands.  
She went in head first, as he gripped her legs tightly.  
She begins to bang frantically on the wall, her legs stiffening up in his grip.

"Why didn't I know better?" He carefully maneuvered her back out, and found she was pale and trembling.

"Would have broke my neck. I'm sorry. I should try feet first."  
"Sure," He he questioned, noticing her fear.  
She put her hands on his shoulders.  
"I won't let go."

He maneuvered her back up, and she shoved her feet into the open window.  
She clenched his shoulders very hard, And he winced from the pain. For holding her arms he was unable to sign, so just smiled reassuringly. It took a couple minutes to finally get through and when she did she released his shoulders, then vanished into the darkness.  
There was a banging noise, the sound of something breaking, and Chris shoved his hands into the window.   
"Are you all right???"  
He waited for a moment, saw her wave back with one hand, then went to the back door, he waited for a few more moments and then he was starting to get concerned.

He was glad when she finally opened the door, But he was not glad that she now looked frightened.  
"Is there someone inside? I pay the city for a police patrol with some of my inheritance."  
"I just got hurt." She held up her bleeding arm.

"Well, let's take care of it."   
He hovered for only a minute longer before finally stepping inside. Doubling down on his concentration as he realized there was a patient in need of medical attention. This is what he focused on.

In the musty-smelling abandoned home, still with furniture, running water, and family pictures in the attic, Christopher located a first aid kit.   
With the money from his parents inheritance he did his best to upkeep the house with hired help and from a distance, with the hopes of moving back in one day. Every attempt since the funeral had resulted in failure. He could barely stand being in the same town, let alone anywhere near the house.  
The emotional trauma was too great.  
Today, he had a patient to take care of and it made it somewhat easier to endure.

He went through the first aid kit and started to work.

"Are you the one who ran into me? I'm starting to think you're bad luck!"  
"No. Dr. Baratt. Why do you ask?"  
She put up her uninjured arm, her hand shaking.  
"This place makes me feel sad."  
"Me too."  
"I mean, I feel like I've lost something but I don't know what that is. I didn't feel it until I was in here. It was something I needed and now it's gone."

He looked up to see tears were streaming down her face. He took some paper towels and handed them to her.  
"I'm almost done."  
He looked around.  
"Your parents died in a house fire. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's the house."

But sometimes he wondered if the house had a curse on it. 

x-x-x

As tired as he was, Christopher couldn't sleep. He took from a bottle of water, before getting up and moving through the darkened house with a flashlight.  
Where was his patient anyway? Though he wouldn't blame her if she did, he hoped that she hadn't run away, 

They would probably need each other's corroborating testimonies in court.

  
He finally found her, in a bed built for a 10-year-old girl.  
"Damn it Leah! Get out of the bed Leah!"

But he felt compelled to leave her there. They were in this together, and feelings of animosity would not do them well.  
He wasn't happy about it at all, in fact he was pretty pissed off.  
He pulled down the ladder in the ceiling, then climbed up into the attic to look through old family documents and pictures.  
Looking around at all the boxes, made him feel nauseous again.  
He was going to have to get through this.

He pulled down one big box of documents, it was labeled Hank Wagner, 1989.  
There was nothing much of interest to him here, just filed paperwork regarding his employment as physician for something called M12-667

There were dozens and dozens of papers here They barely intrigued him, save for one five-page document, with detailed medical records on Allison, Deena, and Christopher.  
Weird.  
It seemed very much out of place. Shouldn't this have been in the family documents file?  
It must have been put in this box accidentally. There was no reason for it to be here. When he came across a Xerox copy of x-rays of Christopher's and Allison's torsos, that made him feel nervous and afraid. He hastily folded the document and shoved it into his pocket.  
He put two more boxes to the side and move to the family photographs album.

The box was labeled summer 1990. It was the last summer his family was alive.

  
  


_"Gray skinnies in the backyard."_  
_Christopher watched her sign carefully, at their family breakfast she was regaling the events of the night before when everyone else was asleep._

  
_Christopher belched loudly._

_"Uncalled for, Chris!"_  
_"Sorry, Mom." His attempt at distraction worked, and he motioned to his sister to not sign anymore. The slightest things just make her very upset._  
_"They were there!" She insisted._  
_"Not now!" Christopher ordered._

Tears filling his eyes, Christopher pulled a bunch of pictures out of the box and begin going through them slowly.

Leah stomped up the ladder to the attic.

"Not now," Christopher ordered with a gentle but firm look on his face.

"There's something you really got to see."  
"Bad time."  
"You need to come downstairs!".  
"Get out Leah."

After she was gone, he went back to the pictures.

  
Allison hit her mother on the shoulder, tugged at her waistband.  
"She makes up stories!" Christopher replied nonchalantly.

_"I saw three gray skinnies in the yard last night Mom."_  
_Deena looked horrified._  
_Christopher just smiled. "She's got a real imagination huh? I wish we were there last night because there was nothing in the yard. Mom there was nothing in the yard."_

Christopher held up the pictures, closer to a light source and away from his cascading tears. God, His family was just so beautiful. 

There they were, at a picnic, at the movie theater, at the rodeo, And that one picture he snuck and never told anybody.   
Of his parents and his little sister, all of them asleep on the couch. Dear Allison was only seven, even then she was signing in her sleep.

_"Mom! Relax. She was playing!"_  
_Christopher was speaking but not signing, and Allison pounded her hand on the table to remind him._  
_He looked right at her._  
_"You're dumb. I told you to stop."_

  
And another picture, the family portrait everybody looking at the camera, responding to the keyword cheese, or maybe it was rutabaga. 

Not that it mattered. The portrait was striking only in the sense that Alison was turned off to the side apparently signing to herself.

Christopher looked harder at the pictures and especially at Allison. Something crashed downstairs, but he barely noticed.

_Chris took her arm, pulled her up from the table roughly._  
_"Hank! Call 911 immediately!"_  
_I got her mom!_  
_Christopher bring her to me! HANK!_  
_"Mom, don't get crazy again please!"_  
_Then he pushed his sister into her room stepped in after her and slammed the door._  
_"Don't cry, baby. It's okay."_  
_"She's afraid of gray skinnies?" Leah signed, both confused and upset._  
_Christopher began to sign back but the door was shaking and he pushed the cabinet in front of it. Mom was screaming and crying and he was grateful that Allison couldn't hear._

Photograph after photograph, he went through all of them, especially any of Allison. His mind knew it, but his heart didn't want to admit it.  
Allison was not dead.

_"I feel like I've lost something but I don't know what that is. I didn't feel it until I was in here. It was something I needed and now it's gone."_

  
And he began to recall. There was a car accident, with only two bodies. His mother and his father. He asked, demanded the morgue. Where was his sister?  
She was incinerated and that was that.  
That's what he had been told for weeks.  
After that he was sent to a psychiatrist. It was several weeks of therapy, of which he had no recollection whatsoever.

Was someone trying to brainwash him during therapy?  
If that was the intent, it worked. It kept him away from his home. It kept him away from the truth!

He knew now that deaf girl Leah, was his deaf sister Allison!

  
There was a loud bang downstairs, Christopher heard that very clearly.  
"Allie!" He whispered jumping up quickly kicking the boxes aside and heading downstairs just in time to see her being dragged out the front door.

"NO!" He cried out, barreling down the stairs and out the front door.

"ALEX KRYCEK!" He roared as his sister was pushed into a waiting vehicle The door held open by someone he did not recognize. They all got in, and Alex waved goodbye with a smile on his face.

"BASTARD!" Christopher yells out and then ran after the car that was now speeding off. He managed to jump on to the hood but a quick swerve down a side street, threw him off and rolling across the pavement.

The car sped off, and Christopher was weeping.

~To be continued~


	4. THE BOOK OF THE CIGARETTE SMOKING MAN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> while waiting for Alex to get back...

830pm

Inside the house, Christopher sat on the couch, a half empty bottle of wine in his lap. He was completely forlorn and completely lost.  
Allison had been taken from him... quite possibly forever. He didn't even know where to begin to start looking.

There was movement near the front door. It opened and someone came inside.  
He looked up to see the silhouette of an older woman with short blonde hair. It was not Allison, so she was ignored.

  
"Gave at the office. I don't believe in your religion... Uh, no solicitors... please just go away."

The woman stepped up to him and sat on the couch beside him.

"I can help you."

He looked at her smiling took another swig from the bottle.  
"I doubt that. I got my sister back for like 5 minutes and then I lose her again... you should go. Christopher Wagner is a dead man, or soon will be."

"That's not necessary. Christopher I can help you find your sister again."

Christopher's eyes burned with fury. "Asshole! He looked at me like he knew me... in the hospital... he knew exactly who I was, who she was!"

"I know that asshole well. I believe I know where he's taken your sister, and I do know the man who orchestrated it."   
He just looked at her; the alcohol was making him sleepy.  
"This world has too many assholes," He remarked. "but you're too pretty to be an asshole. What's your name?"

  
She smiled gently. My name is Marita Covarrubias. She put out her hand and he looked at it dumbly. He took another drink and emptied the bottle.  
"No tricks, Marita Covarrubias! I want my sister back!"

She shook her head.  
"I have a private flight. And wherever your sister is, I can get you there too."

He set the empty bottle down and begin to weep.  
"I was supposed to be her guardian!"  
Marita put a tender hand on his arm.  
Christopher, I want to help you right a most horrible wrong. But we have to hurry. The man who orchestrated your sisters abduction... "  
She smiled encouragingly.  
"He's not long for this world."

x-x-x

Watergate Hotel  
11pm  
Christopher got into the elevator, and looked at the instructions given to him by the woman called Marita Covarrubias He didn't know quite what he would find there, something about an old man who had secret knowledge, even being the one who set up the ruination of his family.

When he reached the correct floor he got off and went to the apartment listed on the paper, and knocked on the door hard.  
Every nerve in his body tensed as the door was opened by an older woman who looked like a maid.  
He was silent for a moment, then bit out, "I'm looking for Charles."  
Christopher held up the note and the woman reached out for it but he quickly pulled it back. She seemed offended by the gesture but stepped aside to let him in anyway He got into the doorway and then stopped.

"Wait here please. I'll tell him you've arrived."

"I don't have all day!"

She offered no friendly gesture, there was no smile on her face and no real acknowledgment of him. She left the room then returned pushing an old man in a wheelchair.

"Isn't this a pleasant surprise? Christopher Wagner!"  
"I... know you... "  
Charles held out his hand. Christopher didn't take it. Charles drew back and straightened up in the chair.  
"It's been a long time. The last time I saw you you were 10 years old."

Christopher, kept from the truth for far too long, the memories of the past were now returning.   
His utter revulsion about going back to his childhood home after so many years away... It was organized to be so, that he would never go back, that he would never remember! 

His fury began to build.

  
"I was... right, you came to see my father... You frightened my mother so badly she was never the same after that... You son of a b****. _You murdered my parents and then you took my sister_!"

"It was a trade Christopher! A very beneficial trade. Myself and others of like minds sacrificed a few for a great many more. It was a deal between an alien race and our own. They guaranteed our survival... yours and mine... if we would only sacrifice some chosen family members. Your father was part of that group until he decided to break his contract."

He snuffed out the cigarette.  
"The aliens did not break their contract."

"Damn you!"   
Christopher had heard enough. He went for the closest object he could find, a large vase sitting on an end table, and he picked it up and held it firmly in both hands.

  
"Don't you want to know the rest of the story? Don't you want to know your sister is? I can remember another man wanting to know were they took his sister... It ended quite tragically."

Christopher's hands were shaking in rage, the vibrations loosening the fake plants inside and sending them to the floor.  
"They taught me in medical school... first do no harm... I don't care now. You don't deserve to be spared." Christopher remarked as he moved closer.

"It's different for you, Christopher! I give you my word. Your sister is still alive. They won't harm her... I don't know why but they won't!"

When Christopher first arrived, Charles seemed assured, now he seemed confused.  
"Tell me where she is!"

  
Charles looked down where he snuffed off the cigarette. "This won't do! Greta bring me my ashtray! And bring me file number 667. Immediately Greta!"

As soon as Greta returned, Christopher grabbed the file from her she looked offended at his rude behavior and glanced over at Charles, who just noticed silently. He took the ashtray from her. "Thank you."

"My sister... what happened to her?!"

Charles frowned and were silent for a couple moments, then he looks frustrated.

She wasn't supposed to be taken, Christopher. It's beyond my understanding why they did so. We sure they would come for you! I even told your father that!"

As test subjects?!? You sick monster!

"That's true... Except for one thing! They don't take infirms Christopher! Even if they did she would not have remained an infirm for very long! That's not how they operate!"  
He lit up a cigarette. "They insisted on a name change, so she wouldn't remember either. I understand she's quite fond of it."

"Allison... had an implant."

Charles frowned. "In many cases, their intent was well known. In your sister's case... I just don't know... "

Christopher laughed bitterly. " _You're the puppet master and you don't know?!_ "

"It's a shame. We were entirely forthwith with them. They have secrets that we could never hope to understand... It's a real shame."

Charles was stumped and Christopher could see that very well. While he really wanted to engage in an argument, especially over the disparaging use of the word word "infirm", he simply didn't have the time. He had to find Allison.

  
He looked at the packs of cigarettes on the table. "They tell me you're not long for this world, and I can see why! It will be a better place when you're gone from it!"

He took the file and left the apartment and slammed the door behind him. Marita was waiting for him.  
"We need to hurry," She told him. She turned and he followed.  
"I don't think I've ever seen anybody smoke so many cigarettes in my entire life. It shouldn't be too long now, should it?!""

"His time has become shorter than that... I'm going to get you on a plane, with directions on how to find your sister... before it's too late."

"Where am I going?" He queried.  
Bellefleuer, Oregon."

~to be continued~


	5. THE BOOK OF FOX MULDER

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "These abductees aren't just systematically being taken. They're not coming back."   
> Fox Mulder, Requiem

Bellefleuer, Oregon  
5:48 p.m.

Leah awoke, as a cool breeze rolled over her body. The smell of redwood and wild flowers hung thick in the air.  
Above her... was the sky?

Well there were some tree tops up there.   
She sat up quickly, leaves falling from her body to the ground.

"HELP ME HELP ME WHERE AM I??? CHRISTOPHER HELP ME!"  
Her hands twisted and contorted as she signed frantically to herself, the same words over and over again until her fingers ached, bringing tears to her eyes.

She got to her knees, feeling the leaves crunching between her feet. She was in a forest!

She got to her knees, images flashing in her mind. Her fake uncle grabbed her and shoved her into a car, Christopher chased after the car but then she was hit over the head with something.

Only one thing was certain, that explained her headache.

The rest was unknown; she was in a forest and beside her evil fake uncle being behind, it she didn't know how she got here. She didn't even know what day it was or where she was. She got to her feet, crying a little

If previous incidents were to be understood, that only meant one thing; Alex had dropped her off so the aliens could come and take her again.

In the distance among the trees she noticed someone. What seemed like a human among the many trees, was advancing towards her and she began to run.

  
"Hey! Hey stop!"

Fox Mulder yelled again. "I said stop!"  
Then he ran after them.

"Skinner?! They're headed your way! Get ready!"

"I'm on it," Skinner's voice cried out from a distance.

By the time molder reached him the assistant director was granting loudly as he was struggling with a woman with long blonde hair.

"Hey, hold up! I'm a federal agent Do not fight me!"

Mulder threw up both hands. "Skinner I know her, she's deaf You can let her go."

  
Skinner did so, and she jerked back, falling down to the ground. She looked extremely angry. Mulder held up one hand, palm out and his notepad in the other.

"Do you remember me, Leah? I'm Dana Scully's partner."

She became considerably calm but anger still radiated from her eyes.

"Hey Skinner, you wouldn't happen to know sign language would you? If you don't, I'm going to need to get more note paper."

Skinner nodded uncertainly. "Yeah... long form... one letter at a time!"

"Good enough. Ask her what she's doing here?"

He sighed angrily. "I'm sure I remember this." He put up one hand  
"Why are you here?"  
He watched then turned to Mulder. "My fake uncle" he shrugged

Molder was puzzled and a little concerned. "Christopher?" He asked.

"It really has been a long time since I've done this I know I'm getting some letters wrong... Leah who is your fake uncle?"

Leah's anger returned with twice the intensity. Her hands were shaking as she signed.  
Skinner put his hands on his hips, now _he_ was angry.

"Her fake uncle is Alex Krycek!"

"Oh my God What a tangled web we weave!" Mulder couldn't help but laugh.

"Is Alex here now?" Skinner signed, concern on his face.

"Don't know where he is. He's always doing this shit. He drops me off for them and they come and get me!"

Skinner paused for a moment thinking carefully.  
"Aliens? From up there?"

Leah didn't sign back. Instead she turned away and went to Mulder. Taking his notepad she wrote something and held it up.

"I think Dr Christopher is my brother, but I don't know how I know that. I don't remember having a brother."

Molder nodded sympathetically as tears welled in her eyes. He smiled at her kindly then pointed in Skinner's direction.

He was looking a little sad himself. "We'll get you back to your brother," Skinner promised.

He looked at Mulder again and then back at Leah.  
"You should stay close to us. It's a little dangerous right now."  
She nodded and then followed them as they went into the woods. She was signing to herself again only this time more slowly with steady controlled breathing.

  
"I have an idea!"  
Mulder turned to Leah and handed her a small blackberry.  
"Over here Skinner, I need you to translate."

Leah took the device carefully and looked at Walter Skinner.  
"It's a homing device... like GPS, you know what that is. If You're taken and you're within a 100 mi radius we'll be able to find you."

Leah appeared concerned but held onto it firmly. Mulder reached over and turned it on, making her jerk it back, then she carefully slipped it into her pocket.

"Good. Hold on to it tightly. And stay right beside us."  
She nodded hesitantly and followed them into the woods. She was signing to herself again, only this time more slowly, with steady controlled breathing.

x-x-x

Leah was given a flashlight, it was getting dark and there was a much less likely chance of her sign language being seen. She still signed to herself as she watched the two men carefully.  
She couldn't help but be afraid. Fake uncle Alex Krycek took her again for the same reason. He dropped her off so the aliens could pick her up.  
Tears began to roll down her cheeks.  
"I'm sorry Christopher, she signed to no one.

  
While Skinner was occupied with setting up the laser, she found the red lights to be beautiful. She could actually feel heat coming off them. She wondered if Mr Skinner and Mr Mulder could sense the heat but they didn't appear to. She wanted to move closer to it, but she had to go.

The bloated feeling in her belly was too much to take, And she trusted they wouldn't mind.  
With that, she took the opportunity of their heavy involvement in the red lights, and retreated into the darkness unzipping her pants along the way.

That's when it happened. Vibrations across her skin began.

"They're coming! They're already here!"  
She clenched her fists tightly, so as to to not lose control and leave her fingers in terrible pain.   
Then she began to run, in the same direction she had come from, until she saw Mr Fox Mulder in a clearing, bathed in white light.

She made a hard left and began running towards him. She had to help him, he was the only one that could help her find her way back to Christopher!

She didn't make it. Something invisible shoved her back, making her fall against a large tree.

A crowd gathered around him, It was no one she knew. Occasionally she saw others she would recognize, but not this time. Even from this distance, she could see that they were all very happy.

"Obviously new to the abduction club" she signed, again to no one.

She covered her eyes as the light intensified.   
They were taking him.  
They were leaving her behind.

She kept her eyes covered until the light dimmed, and the vibrations faded.

She began to weep. How would she ever find Christopher now?

There was a smaller light approaching her. It was still bright enough that she had to shield her face. The light flipped around for a little bit then revealed in front of her, Walter Skinner.

He looked angry.

x-x-x

DAWN 

From a distance she followed him out of the woods. His movement was slow, methodical, almost robot-like.  
It wasn't until they reached the road and he approached the front door of his car. He turned around, looking even angrier now.

"Well?" He signed, his eyes on fire.

She was momentarily stunned at this sudden change in demeanor. He wasn't happy and she knew that he was unhappy with her.

"You were going to help me find my brother."

"Why don't you just wait around for your little gray friends maybe they'll help you find your brother."

She cocked her head. "I guess they don't want me anymore."  
"I can't imagine why. I mean you're the multiple abductee right? Alex Krycek drops you off at the alien bus station so they can pick you up time and again. But they don't. This time they don't. They take my friend and they leave you behind!"

She could see that he was talking, and his sign language was almost perfect but with every letter he was visibly angrier and angrier.

"That's not my fault. I tried to help him."

He just looked at her then, still angry and no sign language. He got in the car and she went to the passenger side only to find the door locked.

She banged on the window.  
"Seriously. You're going to leave me out in the middle of nowhere. I don't even know where the fuck I am!"

There was no response from him except for starting the engine.   
She began to walk off. She turned back only to sign one word,

"Asshole!"

Then she gave him the finger and kept walking... where, she didn't know. If she could find out what town she was in, maybe she could make it back to New Jersey and Christopher would still be there. If she was lucky.   
Tears begin to drip from her eyes and she wiped them away furtively. She just had no idea of how to get back to Christopher.

Skinner's car pulled up beside her and she kept walking. The car moved a little faster then stopped just ahead of her. He got out.

"I'm very sorry." 

Leah scowled at him. "I don't have anything to say to you even if I just did. Leave me alone."

"I need to help you now. I need to keep that promise to my friend."

She could see that he was crying as well.  
Her anger abated. "I'm sorry they took him." 

Skinner paused, then he unlocked the doors and waved her to get inside.

She hesitated and began to sign something but instead got in the car.

They arrived back in Bellefleuer and Skinner stopped at the travel agency to make arrangements to get them to Washington DC. He came back outside and found her leaning against the front fender.

"I was able to get two tickets for a flight headed to Washington DC," he spoke out loud as he communicated; his eyes looked haunted and his mouth was stuck in a frown.

  
"I can't go, she signed "I'm sorry but I can't go with you."  
Then she looked away and wiped her face  
"I know you two are close and again I'm really sorry."

He nodded his bottom lip trembled. "I don't know what I'm going to tell Dana."

Leah shrugged. "You tell her the truth," as if it was the simplest thing in the world.   
He got back into the car and she moved off to the side.  
"I really think you should come with me. You'll be safer and I can help you find your brother."  
She looked confused.  
"Well I can't explain it I just got to stay here."

His face got tight again.  
"Mulder wouldn't want me to leave you here."  
She just sat down on the steps and he got out of the car again.

  
"The good news is I think you are safe from any further abductions, the bad news is Alex Krycek is still out there."  
She just looked at him. She would not be moved.  
Skinner handed her some items.

"Here, the plane ticket is good for the next month. Here's my card. That is the TTY number at the bottom. Don't hesitate to call."

Then he took another moment and handed her $100 bill.  
"You don't have to."  
"I know that."  
Then he handed her a $50 bill.  
"So you can get by." 

  
She nodded to him, shook his hand and they went their separate ways.

~to be continued~


	6. EPILOGUE: THE BOOK OF ALLISON

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was fun I think I wanna do a sequel! :D

  
The next day 2:45 p.m.

"Ima stupid!"  
Leah signed to herself that she was dumb, acting on a gut instinct that told her to remain in Bellefleuer! It was nice as far as mountain towns went, But she didn't know anybody, and there didn't seem to be anyone around who knew sign language. She bought herself a notepad and then went to the diner. There, she bought herself a box of 18 donut holes and one bear claw. She also bought the decaf coffee.

She pulled out the map she bought and tried to figure out her next course of action.

That's when someone sat across from her. At first offended by the intrusion on her personal space, she looked up, and then broke into a sob. She scrambled out of her chair right over the table, and fell down into his lap.

"Allison," Christopher whispered, embracing her with tears running down his face.

4.45pm

"Wanna watch Ozzie and Harriet," she signed to her brother, who was fumbling with the tent they recently purchased.  
He smiled. "What else are you remembering?"  
"Just that. I really liked it."

"Good. Okay, Allie, I know nothing about this."  
He looked at the crumpled tent stupidly. Leah was reading the documents that he got from the cigarette smoking man. She was just shaking her head, grateful that the truth was finally revealed, But horrified that what had happened to her, was merely business as usual for a lot of very powerful people.  
Worse than that, apparently there was an alien invasion in the near future.  
It was enough to make her head spin, and she gripped the side of the rock she was sitting on.  
Christopher's hand reached out and grabbed her shoulder.

"Careful!"  
He saw the look on her face and took the papers.  
"This won't happen again. I won't let it happen again, Allison."

She just looked at him for about 2 seconds then shrugged him off and went to work on the tent.  
He shoved the packet of documents into a backpack and then went to assist her.  
"I met a nice woman. Her name is Marita Covarrubias. She took me to see the man who stole you and killed our parents. I remembered him right away! He visited our house when I was 10 and you-"

Leah shoved the tent stake into the ground.   
"Can we talk about this later?"

He realized that he was only upsetting her and that was the last thing he wanted to do.   
"I'm sorry, Allie. Ok, other matters. We have what we need we can make it on our own for a couple of months. It's enough time to formulate some kind of plan."

  
"I don't want you to call me that. Call me Leah, With an L and it has an h at the end of it."

That just made Christopher frustrated.

"They changed your name. They manipulated your memories, as well as mine. They knew once I finally went back to the house that I would remember. That's why they tried to fix it so I would never go back. Allison they took you!"

  
She nodded angrily. "Allison! Yeah you right! They took Allison, because Allison was weak. I like Leah! I don't care who gave it to me. It's pretty, and Leah was strong and that’s why she survived. Leah survived what they did to her!"

Tears spilled from her eyes, And she wiped them away. He came closer.  
"I swear I'm not trying to make this hard for you. I don't want to do that. I'm not saying it's an ugly name!"

No, it's pretty. It's beautiful." She gave him a smirk "maybe you should change your name?"

He picked up the other tent stake.

"I wouldn't know what name to pick? Charles is out of the question! So is Alex!"

"Fox. It's unique!"

He seemed amused by that. "I guess? Why did you think of that name?"

"The agents we met? His name was Fox. The aliens took him last night."

Christopher looked up, then back at her.

Tears started to fall again. "They took me a bunch of times but I don't think they've ever taken him, and they're going to do bad things to him, really bad things! I thought maybe it would honor him, because he was nice to me."

"Whatever makes you comfortable," he said hugging her, letting her cry until she could not cry anymore.

By 6 p.m. the tent was assembled and Christopher gave her a thumbs up.   
He was going to pretend like he was happy with her choice; indeed he was very happy that he found her again. It was a mixed bag, but one he felt he could live with.  
Okay, you're Leah. With an L. With an h at the end of it!"  
She was relieved by that and pump the first into the air.  
"As for me, I'm not sure. Jack? Mike?"  
"You look more like a Jack."

Christopher nodded. He wasn't looking forward to the tent. He had never been homeless before but he knew he could count on her to show him the ways.

  
"Jack, it is."


End file.
